Posts Tagged ‘North Charleston SC’

The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce Joseph (Joe) Kameen of Graniteville, SC, as the winner of the 2019 North Charleston Arts Fest Poster Design Competition. As the winner of the statewide contest, Kameen’s oil painting, titled “Shadow Boxer”, will be used to promote the 2019 North Charleston Arts Fest, taking place in North Charleston, SC, on May 1-5. In addition, the artist received a $500 purchase award and the piece is now part of the City of North Charleston’s Public Art Collection.

Work by Joseph (Joe) Kameen

Kameen submitted three of his paintings for consideration for the Arts Fest Poster Design Competition. “I believe that these paintings are a good representation of the North Charleston Arts Fest not only because of their broad visual appeal, but also because of the widely relevant nature of the content of the images,” he explains. “My paintings deal with universal, human questions about our experiences. We all ask questions that cannot be answered definitively; as abstract as wondering about our purpose in life, or as personal as asking why we act the way we do. I take these complicated, and often challenging, ideas and use them as inspiration to craft more approachable, metaphorical images. My use of bright colors and active compositions attract the viewer, while the imagery forces the viewer to ask more complicated questions of and for themselves. I feel that this breadth of possibilities and openness to a variety of artistic experiences reflects the diversity of an event like the North Charleston Arts Fest.” It was, in fact, Joe’s use of bright colors, active composition, and the open and intriguing narrative of Shadow Boxer that most appealed to the review panel, who selected the painting among a total of 57 entries by artists from six cities across the state.

Joseph Kameen is an artist and educator. He received his BFAs in Sculpture and Painting at Boston University in 2013, and his MFA in Painting from Indiana University Bloomington in 2015. His work has been featured in publications such as the Boston Voyager, Emboss Magazine, and the Pinch Literary Journal, and is in both national and international private collections. He has curated and exhibited at venues in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Indiana, South Carolina, and New York, including The Painting Center and Janet Kurnatowski Gallery. Kameen has instructed courses in drawing, painting, color theory, sculpture, digital design, and 3D printing at Boston University, Butler University, Indiana University Bloomington, and Indiana University East. He currently teaches painting and drawing at the University of South Carolina Aiken.

Kameen’s paintings use narrative imagery and invented spaces to explore the innately human activity of asking “why,” and to analyze the relationship we form with these questions. Because his paintings are about human experience, the body is featured heavily in his work. Kameen uses his own body as a recurring character so that he always keeps a personal connection to these ideas. Memory also plays heavily into his process, with rooms, objects, and people from his life filtering in and out of paintings. Kameen’s colors are a combination of memory and imagination and often begin with observations made about colors found during certain times of day or under specific weather conditions. He then shifts and exaggerates these found colors to fit his invented worlds. Exaggerated perspectives and compositions reference the hyperbolic expression of Mannerist and Romantic paintings, while bright colors and references to the picture plane point to modern pulp approaches to these same idealized forms. By combining these elements of traditional and popular art, Joe hopes to create work that is both engaged in a conversation with the history of painting, and is accessible and approachable for the average viewer.

A collection of Kameen’s paintings will be on display at the North Charleston City Gallery throughout May 2019. The exhibit will also feature the winning piece, “Shadow Boxer”. The gallery is located within the Charleston Area Convention Center at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. Admission and parking are free. The public is invited to meet the artist at the gallery during a special reception on Wednesday, May 1, from 6-8pm. Kameen will also offer a painting demo during the Arts Fest Exhibition Encore at the Charleston Area Convention Center on Sunday, May 5. T-shirts and posters featuring the winning design will be available for purchase during the festival.

For more information about the North Charleston Arts Fest, other competition and exhibition opportunities, or festival sponsorship and program booklet ad placement, contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at 843/740-5854, e-mail to (culturalarts@northcharleston.org), or visit (www.NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com).

Fine craft artists from across the state of SC are invited to participate in the 18th annual “South Carolina Palmetto Hands Juried Fine Craft Competition and Exhibition”. As the state’s longest-running fine craft competition and exhibition, objects juried into the show may compete for cash prizes totaling up to $6500. The exhibition is presented as a component of the annual North Charleston Arts Fest, to be held May 1-5, 2019. A $15 entry fee applies. Artists may submit up to four entries. The application is strictly available online and can be accessed at (https://NorthCharlestonCulturalArtsDepartment.SlideRoom.com).

Deadline for entries is Friday, March 15, 2019. Artists in need of assistance with the application process may contact the Cultural Arts Department to schedule a one-on-one meeting, which can be conducted over the phone or in person.

“Palmetto Hands” exhibition, credit: Jonathon Stout Photography

Organized and presented by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, this unique exhibition offers fine craft artists from across South Carolina the opportunity to exhibit their inspiring objects in the media of clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood, and three-dimensional mixed media. Thousands have enjoyed the refined talents of South Carolina fine craft artists during past annual exhibitions. Following the close of the show, up to twenty works will be selected to tour the state through the South Carolina State Museum’s 2019/2020 Traveling Exhibitions Program. Sites across South Carolina may request the exhibit to tour in their facilities, thus providing additional exposure for the selected artists.

The juror for this year’s exhibition is Jim Arendt, Associate Professor of Visual Arts and Gallery Director at Coastal Carolina University. He received his BFA from Kendall College of Art & Design and his MFA from the University of South Carolina. He has participated in residency programs including The Fields Project in Illinois, Arrowmont’s Tactility Forum, and From Waste to Art VI in Baku, Azerbaijan. He’s been invited to teach at Penland School of Craft and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. His work is exhibited internationally in numerous group and solo shows. Recently, Arendt was short-listed for The 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art and a 2018 finalist for the Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize, Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, PA. In 2014, he received the South Carolina Arts Commission Visual Artist Fellowship and his work received the top prize at ArtFields 2013. He has exhibited in Fiberarts International 2013 & 2016 & 2019, and the 2013 Museum Rijswijk Textile Biennial, Netherlands and has work include in the Arkansas Art Center’s permanent collection of contemporary craft. He has juried numerous local, regional, and national exhibitions in support of the arts across the country.

The 18th Annual “South Carolina Palmetto Hands Juried Fine Craft Competition & Exhibition” will be on display May 1-5, 2019, at the Charleston Area Convention Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston, SC. A free public reception and announcement of awards will be held at the Convention Center on Wednesday, May 1, 2019, from 6:00-8:30pm.

For more information about the North Charleston Arts Fest, “Palmetto Hands”, or other exhibition opportunities, contact the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at 843/740-5854, e-mail to (culturalarts@northcharleston.org), or visit (www.NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com).

Fletcher Williams III of North Charleston, SC, is the 2018 recipient of the Lowcountry Artist of the Year Award from The Griffith/Reyburn Visual Arts Fund.

“With this award, I was able to utilize an array of materials collected over several years and craft them into a 7ft house-like structure indicative of vernacular architecture and agricultural practices unique to the lowcountry,” says Williams.

Homestead by Fletcher Williams III

“Throughout the past two years, I’ve dedicated a significant portion of my practice to exploring, collecting, and documenting communities within the lowcountry that are representative of African American entrepreneurship and ingenuity. It is common for me to scour my familiar urban terrain but just recently I began venturing into rural South Carolina where I’ve come across vestiges of master craftsmanship, agricultural expertise, and architectural beauty. Homestead is an assemblage of the most iconic fragments collected during those explorations.”

“The overall design of Homestead was inspired by a multi-use barn near the outskirts of Walterboro, SC,” adds Williams. “It is a grand structure that housed grain, hogs, cauldrons, and farming tools. It is an elegant matrix of rafters and raw timber columns enclosed by dull corrugated tin. I’ve mimicked these fixtures in Homestead by creating an intricate exposed rafter system using weathered picket-fence and wrapping the core structure with rusted tin roofing recovered from a Freedman’s Cottage located on upper Meeting Street in Charleston, SC. The haint-blue concave section of the structure is comprised of tongue-and-groove siding taken from a small vacated home located only a few miles from the barn. And to represent the barn’s agricultural component, the sculpture is decorated with a series of rusted rebar hooks identical to those used to aid farmers in the butchering of livestock.”

Fletcher Williams’ studio in North Charleston, SC

Fletcher Williams III (b. 1987) is a North Charleston, SC, based interdisciplinary artist whose theoretical and conceptual art making practice is rooted in southern vernacular. Williams studied drawing, painting, print making, graphic design, and sculpture at The Cooper Union, where he received a BFA in 2010 and worked for several years thereafter as a freelance graphic designer. While the core of Williams’ education focused on the visual arts, a significant portion of his education was dedicated to studying ritual theory through the lenses of anthropology and sociology. These concepts play an important role in his later works. In 2013, he returned to Charleston and began creating multimedia objects and installations that incorporate historical and contemporary narratives of culture and utility that are unique to the lowcountry. Currently, Williams works out of his single car garage located in the Park Circle neighborhood of North Charleston.

View of an exhibition of works by Fletcher Williams III at 701 Center for Contemporary Art in Columbia, SC

The Griffith/Reyburn Visual Arts Fund was created in 2003 by Michael Griffith and Donna Reyburn as an endowment with Coastal Community Foundation. The endowment provides the annual “Lowcountry Artist of the Year Award” to support the creation of a work of visual art that represents an aspect of the South Carolina Lowcountry’s unique life, culture, or environment— its “look and feel.” The award is intended to assist the artist during creation of an original work of art which is then the personal property of the artist, to keep, show or sell at his or her discretion.

Sculpture artists from across the nation are invited to participate in the fourteenth annual “National Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition”, which opens in conjunction with the 2019 North Charleston Arts Fest. Up to 14 sculptures will be juried into the exhibit and compete for cash prizes totaling up to $19,750. A $1250 honorarium is given to all artists accepted into the show to assist with transportation, installation, de-installation, and incidental expenses. Once all pieces are installed, the juror will award Best in Show ($1000), Outstanding Merit ($500), and up to three Honorable Mentions ($250 each).

Work by Joni Younkins-Herzog from the current exhibition

The application is only available online and may be accessed via the link at (NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com/apply). An application fee of $35 allows artists to submit up to four entries. Deadline for submissions is Monday, Feb. 25, 2019. Artists in need of assistance with any part of the application process may contact the Cultural Arts Department to schedule a one-on-one meeting, which can be conducted over the phone or in person.

Organized and presented by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, this 11 month exhibition offers established and emerging artists the opportunity to display their thought provoking, extraordinary sculptures throughout the picturesque North Charleston Riverfront Park. Set on the banks of the Cooper River, Riverfront Park features ten acres of walking paths, a boardwalk and fountain, an expansive lawn with performance pavilion, children’s play areas, and picnic sites. An estimated 50,000 people visit this public park annually to enjoy the amenities located in the heart of the city’s arts community.

The juror for this year’s exhibition is Katelyn Kirnie. Kirnie has served as the Director of Public Art Chattanooga since 2016. She moved back to her hometown of Chattanooga, TN, after living and working in Portland, OR, and Boston, MA — where she managed the public art program for the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Kirnie was introduced to the public art world early in her career as Exhibition Manager for renowned sculptor, John Henry. She went on to establish an award winning and highly anticipated rotating mural program, dubbed The Greenway Wall, in Boston, MA. She holds a Master’s Degree in Arts Administration from Boston University and has an extensive background in fabrication project management and exhibition production for the public realm. Kirnie is inspired by the way art and artists enhance the urban environment – adding meaning, building community, and creating connection.

The 14th Annual “National Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition” will be on display May 1, 2019, through March 22, 2020, at North Charleston Riverfront Park, located at 1001 Everglades Avenue in North Charleston. A free public reception and announcement of awards will be held at the Charleston Area Convention Center on Wednesday, May 1, 2019, from 6:00-8:00pm.

For more information about the North Charleston Arts Fest, the “National Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition”, or other exhibition opportunities, contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department by calling 843/740-5854, e-mail to (culturalarts@northcharleston.org), or visit (www.NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com).

The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is seeking entries from African American textile artists from across the nation for a special exhibition presented as a component of the 2019 North Charleston Arts Fest, taking place May 1-5 in North Charleston, SC. African American artists, ages 18 and up, living in the United States and working in the medium of fiber are invited to participate in the 13th Annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition, titled “BLACK GOLD”. The exhibition will be on display at North Charleston City Hall from May 1-June 21, 2019. A $30 entry fee applies and allows artists to submit a maximum of four entries for consideration. Up to two entries per artist may be selected by the curator for the exhibition. The application is available online at (https://NorthCharlestonCulturalArtsDepartment.SlideRoom.com).

Deadline for entries is Friday, March 1, 2019.

Curated by award winning master art quilter and curator, Torreah “Cookie” Washington, this unique exhibition offers African American fiber artists a showcase to display their original and innovative designs. This year’s theme is directly inspired by the song “Black Gold” by Esperanza Spalding from her 2012 album “Radio Music Society”. Washington was particularly moved by the lyrics, “Think of all the strength you have in you / From the blood you carry within you / Ancient ones, powerful ones / Built us a civilization…” The challenge for this year’s exhibit is for artists to review the full lyrics of Spalding’s song, as well as the official music video, then create a fiber art piece that will inspire the next generation.

Following the close of the show, up to twenty works will be selected to tour the state through the South Carolina State Museum’s 2019/2020 Traveling Exhibitions Program. Sites across South Carolina may request the exhibit to tour in their facilities, thus providing additional exposure for the selected artists.

The 13th Annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition: “BLACK GOLD” will be on display 8am-8pm daily from May 1-June 21, 2019, on the 1st and 2nd floors of North Charleston City Hall, located at 2500 City Hall Lane in North Charleston. Admission is free. A free public reception in honor of the participating artists will be held at City Hall on Thursday, May 2, 2019, from 6-8pm.

For more information about the North Charleston Arts Fest, the exhibition, or other exhibition opportunities, contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at 843/740-5854, e-mail to (culturalarts@northcharleston.org), or visit (www.NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com).

The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is seeking artists in music, theatre, dance, visual art, media art, and literature to participate in the 2019 North Charleston Arts Fest to be held May 1-5 at various venues throughout North Charleston, SC. National, regional, and local artists, cultural groups, and community organizations are welcome to submit an application to perform on stage or present their talents through programs such as exhibitions, lectures, demonstrations, workshops, and more.

The application can be accessed at (NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com/apply). Agents submitting applications on behalf of two or more artists or groups should contact the Cultural Arts Department at 843/740-5854 or e-mail to (culturalarts@northcharleston.org) for special application instructions. There is NO fee to apply.

Applications will be accepted through the online submission platform until midnight on Sat., Dec. 15, 2018. Artists in need of assistance with any part of the application process may contact the Cultural Arts Department to schedule a one-on-one meeting, which can be conducted over the phone or in person.

The North Charleston Arts Fest, now entering its 37th year, is one of the most comprehensive arts festivals in the state, drawing more than 30,000 residents and visitors annually. The festival features a fabulous array of events and activities such as concerts, theatre presentations, exhibitions and installations, children’s programs, film screenings, workshops and demonstrations, and more. The Arts Fest review panel will select applicants from all art disciplines to create a mix of free and ticketed events that will work well in the available venues and are geared to meet the interests of a cross-section of ages, cultures, and backgrounds. Proposals for new concepts or programs are encouraged.

For more information about the North Charleston Arts Fest and other participation opportunities visit (NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com) or contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department office by calling 843/740-5854 or e-mail to (culturalarts@northcharleston.org).

The City of North Charleston, SC, is calling upon South Carolina visual artists to participate in the 2019 North Charleston Arts Fest Poster Design Competition. The winning piece will become the official poster design of the 2019 North Charleston Arts Fest, taking place May 1-5, 2019, and will be featured on all promotional materials and merchandise, including posters, billboards, print and digital advertisements, television commercials, program booklets, apparel, online, and more. The winning artist will receive a $500 purchase award and a solo exhibition at the North Charleston City Gallery during May 2019. In addition, the winning piece will become part of the City of North Charleston’s Public Art Collection, which is displayed throughout City Hall.

The deadline to submit works for the competition is Saturday, December 15, 2018.

There is NO entry fee to participate in the North Charleston Arts Fest Poster Design Competition. The competition is open to South Carolina residents ages 18 and older. Categories of work accepted are: acrylic, oil, drawing, pastel, watercolor, and 2-D mixed media. Entries must be submitted online at (https://northcharlestonculturalartsdepartment.slideroom.com/#/login/program/45469) by the December 15 deadline. Artists may enter a maximum of three pieces into the competition.

The North Charleston Arts Fest is organized and presented by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department. The annual multi-day celebration of arts and culture highlights national, regional and local artists and performers in the areas of Dance, Music, Theatre, Visual Art, Media Art, and Literature. For more than 35 years the festival has made quality arts programming affordable and accessible to the widest spectrum of the public, attracting more than 30,000 residents and visitors from throughout the Southeast and beyond to experience free and modestly priced performances, workshops, exhibitions, and activities in a variety of venues, including libraries, community centers, schools, businesses, and parks. The event has matured into one of the most comprehensive arts festivals in the state of South Carolina.

For more information about the 2019 North Charleston Arts Fest and other participation opportunities visit (NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com), or contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department office at 843/740-5854 or e-mail to (culturalarts@northcharleston.org). Artists in need of assistance with any part of the submission process may contact the Cultural Arts Department to schedule a meeting, which can be conducted over the phone or in person.

Established and emerging professional visual artists creating two-dimensional or wall-hung three-dimensional works are invited to apply individually or with a group to exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery in North Charleston, SC. The gallery features artwork by international, national, and local artists in a variety of subjects and media. The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department manages the exhibitions in the space, which are rotated on a monthly basis and may feature two or more artists concurrently. Exhibits are programmed one year in advance according to fiscal year. A Review Panel will convene in December 2018 to evaluate and select exhibits for July 2019-June 2020. There is no fee to apply. Artists must apply online at (www.northcharlestonculturalartsdpartment.slideroom.com) by Monday, Nov. 30, 2018, in order to be considered.

The North Charleston City Gallery is situated in two corridors of the northwest corner of the Charleston Area Convention Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. This high-traffic venue offers great exposure for artists seeking to reach local patrons and out-of-state visitors of the multi-use facility. Exhibits are open to the public daily and admission and parking are free. Public receptions are typically held the first Thursday of each month from 5-7pm.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Only original, two-dimensional works or three-dimensional pieces that can be wall mounted on the gallery’s Walker display system will be considered. Free-standing sculptures, installations, and works requiring special display equipment cannot be accommodated in the space. Submission requirements include an artist statement, resume and exhibition history, exhibition concept, and five quality digital images that portray the quality and style of the artists’ work.

Artists not eligible to show their work at the City Gallery, like, for example, those creating free-standing sculptures or installations, are welcome to submit an exhibition proposal to be considered for other locations. Proposals may be e-mailed to (culturalarts@northcharleston.org) and will be reviewed by Cultural Arts on an ongoing basis.

For additional information about these and other exhibition opportunities or to learn more about programs and services offered by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, visit the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website at (www.northcharleston.org), e-mail to (culturalarts@northcharleston.org), or call 843/740-5854.

Attached image: “PLUME” by Camela Guevara at the North Charleston City Gallery in Jan. 2018 (photo credit: Camela Guevara)

The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is proud to announce the appointment of Quintin Chaplin as Artist-in-Residence (AIR) for FY2018/19. The City’s AIR serves as a key resource for the department’s outreach programs, especially in the area of art instruction. Quintin will share his unique skills, talents, and experiences by providing residencies and workshops to public schools, seniors, and various community groups in North Charleston, SC, through June 2019.
Quintin Chaplin is a local muralist, illustrator, and portrait artist. He is skilled in many forms of two-dimensional media, but works primarily in acrylic and watercolor. A native of the Lowcountry, Chaplin graduated from R.B. Stall High School and earned an Associate’s Degree in Art from Trident Technical College in 2013 and a certificate from Pixar Animation Studios in Los Angeles, CA, in 2015. His work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions throughout the Lowcountry and has received a number of awards from judged art competitions at the Coastal Carolina Fair, the North Charleston Arts Fest, and more.

Work by Quintin Chaplin

Chaplin worked as an apprentice for Walt Disney animation studios, served as the artist-in-residence for Ladson Elementary School in 2012, and has offered art instruction in the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department’s after school and summer arts enrichment programs since 2017. He has also been creating murals, portraits, and other commissioned pieces for local businesses, schools, organizations, and individuals as a freelance artist since 2011.

As North Charleston’s Artist-in-Residence, Chaplin will offer instruction in painting and drawing. Along with teaching the fundamentals of art and guiding students through the exploration of 2-D media, his curriculum is also laced with lessons on life. “Being a teaching artist has given me a platform to talk to kids about things like self-awareness, self-esteem, and how to handle peer pressure,” he explains. In addition to teaching, Chaplin will also be working with the Cultural Arts Department on public art projects throughout the City as part of his residency.

The North Charleston City Gallery will host an exhibition of Chaplin’s work throughout December 2018 and January 2019. The gallery is located within the Charleston Area Convention Center at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. School liaisons, arts teachers, and the general public are invited to meet the artist at a free gallery reception on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018, from 5-7pm.

Art teachers and school liaisons may initiate the request for FREE services by the AIR by contacting the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at 843/740-5851. Community groups are also welcome to submit requests, which will be considered on a first come first served basis. All project requests should be placed at least two weeks in advance, with residences completed by the end of May 2019.

More information about the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department’s AIR program, as well as the department’s other programs, exhibits, and events, can be found on the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website at (www.northcharleston.org).

Professional visual artists may apply individually or with a group to exhibit original works at the North Charleston City Gallery, located in the common areas of the Charleston Area Convention Center Complex, in North Charleston, SC, for July 2019-June 2020. This location offers great exposure for artists seeking to reach local patrons as well as out-of-state visitors. Exhibits are rotated on a monthly basis and may feature two or more artists concurrently. Apply online at (NorthCharlestonCulturalArtsDepartment.Slideroom.com) beginning September 1, 2018. There is no fee to apply.